South Yorkshire pervert jailed after being caught with indecent images of children including a baby

Sheffield Crown Court heard on April 22 how Christopher Lennighan, aged 42, of Church Field Drive, Wickersley, Rotherham, was already subject to a sex offender order when police discovered he had downloaded indecent images of children.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, said Lennighan had been placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in March 2014, following a conviction for making indecent images of children and he was ordered not to delete any internet usage and not to access any website with images of youngsters.

Ms Reevell added: “On September 24, 2019, police attended his home address to carry out checks to ensure he was complying.”

She said police seized his mobile phone and found three category A indecent images, 18 category B images and 118 category C images, with A being the most serious.

Ms Reevell said the children depicted in the images included a baby aged about one year old.

Police forensic examination also revealed Lennighan had deleted his internet history, according to Ms Reevell, and he had visited a Russian website which is known for having indecent images of children.

Lennighan, who has previous convictions relating to indecent images of children, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and to three offences of making indecent images of children relating to categories A, B and C.

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said Lennighan, who cares for his elderly parents, has previously been in denial about his offending but he has since shown a change of attitude.

Mr Baptiste added: “He has dedicated his life to looking after his elderly parents and he has let them down before and one of his deepest regrets is that he has done so again.”

Recorder Benjamin Nolan QC sentenced Lennighan to two years of custody. Lennighan was also ordered to comply with the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

Recorder Nolan told Lennighan if he commits further offences or breaches his Sexual Harm Prevention Order his sentences will get longer.

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